


There is Another

by skylerthelostboy



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Canon Rewrite, F/F, M/M, Twin Swap AU, biggs is a girl to keep it gay tbh, rebels spoilers? kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2018-08-11 06:12:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7879627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skylerthelostboy/pseuds/skylerthelostboy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Twin Swap AU: Luke is an Alderaanian Prince who is gay as hell for Han Solo. Leia is a farm girl from Tatooine who becomes the Jedi she always deserved to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. twin suns of tatooine taught me everything i know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote chapter one, so give it a read if you haven't lately!

_It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet. Pursued by the Empire's sinister agents, Luke, the Prince of Alderaan, races home aboard his starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save his people and restore freedom to the galaxy..._

Deep in the Outer Rim, the desert planet Tatooine struck an uneasy balance of lively trade cities and sparse farmsteads. From krayt dragons to skettos, the wildlife there was only slightly more dangerous than the people. The locals did what they must to survive, and news of the Empire was rare. Most Imperials stayed clear of Hutt territory, and an appearance was almost unheard of. But the Empire’s reach was vast, and an Imperial Star Destroyer quickly gained on a Rebel CR90 Cruiser far above the planet.

“This is madness!” C-3PO stammered. As a protocol droid, he was never built for battle, but he had seen more than his fair share. He and his astromech counterpart R2-D2 pushed through the tide of the _Tantive IV_ ’s crew members. Laserbolts glanced off the edges of the ship, aimed to disable but not destroy. The rebel soldiers quickly scrambled to defensive positions. They kept their blasters aimed at the door, their shaking hands hidden only by the violent shaking of the ship. They were young, too young. Threepio didn't remember, but Artoo did. The Imperial craft latched on and the door hissed open. For a moment, there was silence, but then-

“Stormtroopers!”

Artoo whistled a hurried retreat as laserfire surrounded them. They slipped out from the battle, but Threepio looked back and saw the intruder. Vader. Even taller than the stories said, his black robes and helmet clashed against the ship’s stark white walls. Whispers of Sith magic had amplified the already terrifying persona that Vader projected and the rebel soldiers were at his feet, dead before the battle even began. He saw Threepio and Artoo, and for an instant, he froze. He shook his head, registered the droids as an impossibility, and continued into the ship without a word.

In the control room, Vader teased a surviving rebel officer with the hope of death. The rebels knew their capture was inevitable from the moment they were boarded, but that didn’t stop them from fighting. It never had. Vader wrapped a gloved hand around the officer’s neck and lifted him several feet off the ground.

“Where are the transmissions you intercepted?” Vader demanded.  
“We intercepted no transmissions,” the officer gasped, “we’re on a diplomatic mission-”  
“Then where is the Ambassador?”

The resulting silence is all the disrespect he was willing to endure. Vader had always been short-tempered and his anger had a habit of incurring a body count. Today was no different. His mechanical grip tightened until he was sure the rebel would never breathe again.

“Commander, tear this ship apart until you’ve found those plans and bring me the Ambassador. I want him alive!”

At the back of the ship, Threepio came out of hiding. He silently thanked the Maker for making it through another battle and went in search of his partner. Artoo was down the hall, smoke rising around him from the previous fight. Prince Luke Organa was with him. Spotting Threepio, Luke rose slowly, dream-like, and bright blue eyes shone out from a mess of blond hair. The excitement of the day had unraveled what were intricate braids and he had to push his bangs off his face. It made him look even younger than his nineteen years. He gave Artoo an awkward but encouraging pat and Artoo headed toward Threepio.

“Where have you been?” Threepio banged on Artoo’s head. “They’re heading this way!” Artoo scooted around him mid-outburst and sped down the hall. “Wait a minute, where are you going?” Artoo beeped back and Threepio sighed, chasing after him. Artoo slid up to a control panel. “This is restricted! We’ll be deactivated for sure,” Threepio moaned. “Secret mission? What plans? What are you talking about?” Artoo whistled insistently, and Threepio gave in, joining him in the escape pod.

Stormtroopers marched by where the droids had been just moments before, and a blaster bolt caught one of them in the chest as Luke darted across the hall. He peered around the corner to line up another shot, but he was immediately faced with the barrels of half a dozen E-11s. Luke had been in dangerous political situations before, but nothing as tangible as this. He felt his body stiffen and fall to the ground before he registered that he’d been stunned. He accepted the situation as it happened. If the stun blasts hadn’t gotten him, his fear would have frozen him just the same.

The Imperial troops jerked Luke to his feet. He felt a blaster press against his back and started forward. Luke had travelled on the _Tantive IV_ for many years and knew exactly where he was headed. He turned the corner and tried to hide his shock. He knew the dangers when he accepted this mission, but he didn’t expect a visit from Vader himself.

“Lord Vader,” Luke said calmly, “only you could be so bold. My father- the Senate- won’t stand for this.”  
“Don’t play games with me, Your Highness. You weren’t on any diplomatic mission, you passed directly through a restricted system. Transmissions were beamed to this vessel by Rebel spies, and I want to know what happened to those plans.”  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m a member of the Imperial Senate-”  
“You’re part of the Rebel Alliance, and a traitor.” He turned to his guards. “Take him away!”

“Holding him is dangerous,” a nearby Commander said. “If word gets out, it could generate sympathy for the Rebellion.”  
“I have traced the Rebel spies to him, he is my only link to finding their base.”  
“He’ll die before he tells you anything, even if he knows.”  
“Leave that to me.”

Another Officer approached and snapped to attention. He stared straight ahead as he delivered his message, not willing look towards Vader’s mask and the eyes that may or may not be underneath.

“Lord Vader, the plans are not aboard this ship. No transmissions were made, but an escape pod jettisoned during the fighting. No life forms were aboard.”  
“He must have hidden the plans in the escape pod. See to it that they are retrieved, Commander.”

The Officers took their leave and Vader was alone. He took a deep breath and tried to ignore the servos whirring to assist him. Although he enjoyed command - as much as he could, with the sniveling Officers he had under him - Vader missed being in the cockpit of a fighter. He commanded the Devastator but did not control it, not the way he controlled his Eta-2. Nostalgia is a shadowed form of loss, but some losses do not disguise themselves. Sometimes loss is just pain. For the first time in nearly two decades, he looked out to the planet below.

“There will be no one to stop us this time.”

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Tatooine’s blinding suns baked everything on the surface. Leia sighed, looking over the ridge. There was nothing for miles in any direction but sand and childhood dreams. But there, in the sky, was a white scar on a pale blue sky. She reached for her macrobinoculars and watched the explosions shine through the atmosphere. Her breath caught in her chest and she jumped into her landspeeder to cruise into Anchorhead toward the power station. She rushed into the back where her friends were playing sabacc.

“Hey you guys, I-” Her greeting was cut short by the sight of an old friend. Biggs was a few years older than the rest of the kids, and her Academy jacket distanced her from the surrounding farm folk. “I didn’t know you were back! When did you get in?”

Biggs’ face lit up and she embraced Leia fondly. “Just now. I wanted to surprise you, hot shot. I thought you’d be here!” she said, smiling. “I signed aboard the Rand Ecliptic last week, First Mate Biggs Darklighter at your service!”

She looked at Leia and paused mid-salute, the words catching in her throat.

“I just wanted to come to say goodbye.”  
“Goodbye?” Leia asked, tears threatening to fall. “I don’t- Wait!” She interrupted herself. “Biggs, there’s a battle going on! You’ve got to believe me!”  
“Not again!” one of the boys sighed.  
“Biggs, please.” Leia looked up and Biggs saw the years she’d missed reflected in her eyes. She couldn't say no to Leia, not this time.  
“Alright, just for a minute.”

Outside, Biggs took the binoculars and saw two small silver dots against the bright sky. “That’s no battle, they’re just... sitting there. Probably refueling.” She looked away. “The Rebellion is a long way from here, kid.”

Leia’s face fell and Biggs backtracked.

“Hey, why don’t you tell me about your souped up Skyhopper, huh?”

Leia grinned and the other kids went inside. Biggs watched Leia talk, only listening to some of the words she was saying. She described her most recent spin through Beggar’s Canyon, and Biggs could remember every twist and turn. She traced the inside of Leia’s palm as if the creases matched the topography of their childhood.

“I’ve missed you,” Biggs said softly.  
“I’ve missed you too. Things haven’t been the same without you.”  
“Listen, Leia, I didn’t come back just to say goodbye. I shouldn’t tell you this, but you’re the only one I can trust. And if I don’t come back, I want somebody to know. Want you to know.”  
“What are you talking about? Is everything okay?”  
“I made some friends at the Academy.” Biggs leaned in close to her. “We - Klivian and me - we’re jumping ship when we get to the central systems. We’re joining the Alliance.”  
“The Rebellion! Really?”

Biggs flinched. Leia’s immediate optimism burned in contrast to the memories of Biggs’ friends who were discovered at the Academy. The Commander had not taken kindly to rumors of unrest, and she had been spared out of ignorance only - the fate of her friends was still unknown. She brought herself back to the present and looked at Leia.

“It’s what we always talked about,” she said carefully. “I have to be on the right side, the side I believe in.”  
“And I’m stuck here,” Leia sighed. She wasn't sure if her sadness was because she was still on Tatooine, or because she was on Tatooine without Biggs.  
“I thought you were going to the Academy next term?”  
“I doubt it. I have to help with the farm. Again.”  
“What good is the farm if it’s taken over by the Empire?”  
“It couldn’t happen out here, you said it yourself.”  
Biggs looked up at the twin suns setting in the distance.

“You never know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmu @ skyler-thelostboy.tumblr (or bxnkenobi.tumblr) to yell about star wars with me!!
> 
> disclaimer: a lot of the dialogue in these first few chapters are pulled from the movie script


	2. memory is a fickle siren song

“That’s funny,” Threepio said, “the damage doesn’t look as bad from out here.” 

The droids gazed up at the quickly vanishing ships. The stars spun above them as they fell through the atmosphere and suddenly, the vast darkness of space turned into infinite light. Threepio and Artoo stumbled out of their escape pod into the seemingly endless dunes. Tatooine’s suns attacked them from both sides, harshly from the sky and reflected back at them from the sand.

Artoo took a moment to get his bearings and then headed quickly towards the rocky mesas in the distance, despite Threepio’s shouts of protest.

“Fine, go that way!” Threepio’s voice echoed. “And don’t let me catch you following me, begging for help, because you won’t get it.”

Artoo beeped rudely behind him but did not stop. He did not know exactly where he was, but he knew where he was headed. He had a message to deliver, and he could only hope that its recipient was still there after all these years. 

Out of nowhere, a magnetic ray engulfed him and he let out a short squeak before toppling over. Jawas poured out from the crags surrounding him. “ Utinni m'tuske nyeta dooka,” the Jawas said excitedly to each other. “Jar k’osa toineepa takiik!” Their eerie yellow eyes were the last thing Artoo saw before he powered back on inside their sandcrawler.

A few days later, the vehicle slowed to a stop and the droids were gathered in the main chamber. Artoo spotted Threepio and sped over to him, whistling excitedly. “It can’t be- Artoo! It is you!” Threepio hugged him awkwardly as the Jawas opened the hatch at the end of the corridor. Light spilled in as the Jawas went through the assortment of droids, ushering some out to the surface and leaving others in their wake. “Thank the Maker you’re back.”

Outside, the Jawas were chatting up a few worn-looking locals. Moisture vaporators dotted the landscape and a voice called out from one of the homesteads.

“Leia, tell Owen that if he gets a translator, it needs to speak Bocce.”  
“It looks like we don’t have much of a choice, but I’ll remind him.”

Leia walked back towards the Sandcrawler where Threepio was speaking to her uncle.

“I have no use for a protocol droid,” Owen was saying.  
“Of course not, not out here, but I have been programmed for over thirty secondary functions that-”  
“I need a droid who understands the binary language of vaporators.”  
“Vaporators! Why sir, my first job was programming a binary load lifter, very similar to-”  
“Do you speak Bocce?”  
“Of course I can sir, it’s like a second language for me, I-”  
“Shut up.” He turned to a nearby Jawa. “I’ll take this one.”

“Leia,” Owen called out, “will you take these two to the garage to have them cleaned? I need it done before dinner.”  
“But I was going to Tosche Station to pick up some power converters!”  
“You can waste time with your friends when your chores are done.”  
“Alright, whatever.” She sighed and turned to the droids. “Come on, will you?”

Threepio followed Leia back to the homestead, accompanied by R5-D4. Halfway down the path, a panel popped off the head of the R5 unit and sparked wildly. 

“Uncle Owen! This droid has a bad motivator, look!”  
“Hey!” Owen shouted over the din of Jawa muttering. “What are you trying to push on us, huh?”  
"Ny shootogawa!" the Jawa replied nervously. "Gomjam bom’loo." 

Threepio tapped on Leia’s shoulder and pointed to Artoo. 

“Excuse me, but that R2 unit is in prime condition. A bargain, really.”  
“What about the blue one?” she asked Owen. He and the Jawa argued for a moment before the Jawa reluctantly agreed to the trade, having very much come out the poorer.  
"Opawi okka ysas waff'mla un atoonyoba," the merchant muttered as he went back to his sandcrawler, "hkeek nkulla." 

“It just isn’t fair,” Leia groaned. She started to scrape at Artoo’s head, clearing the residue from his connectors.  
“Is there anything I might do to help?” Threepio asked.  
“Not unless you can alter time, speed up the harvest, or get me off this rock.”  
“I’m sorry to say I’m not very knowledgeable about such things, on this planet anyway. Actually, I’m not even sure which planet I’m on.”  
“Well, if there’s a bright center of the universe, you’re on the planet it’s farthest from.”  
“I- I see.”  
“I mean, well,” Leia switched gears quickly, “it looks like you’ve got a lot of carbon scoring, have you two seen some action?”  
“With what we’ve been through, I’m amazed in as good condition as we are. What with the Rebellion and all.”  
“You know of the Rebellion? Against the Empire?”   
“That’s how we came to be in your service, if you take my meaning.”

_ The Rebellion _ . Leia’s heart raced as she traced the word with her lips. She shook the thoughts of Biggs from her mind and remembered the battle she saw, the battle she  _ knew  _ she’d seen. Maybe the Empire had found its way to the Outer Rim after all. She was pulled from her thoughts when she accidentally started a playback from Artoo and a glimmering hologram of a young man projected before her. 

“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.”  
“What is this? Who is he?” Leia asked incredulously. Artoo beeped sheepishly in response.  
“What is what? She asked you a question, Artoo. What is _that?_ ” Threepio waved his hand in the hologram’s general direction, which was repeating the same fragment over and over.  
“-Kenobi. You’re my only ho-”  
“He says it’s a malfunction. Old data.”  
“Is there more to this recording?”   
“He says he’s the property of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a resident of these parts, that it’s a private message for him. Honestly, I don’t know what he’s talking about.”  
“I wonder if he means old Ben Kenobi.” She looked back down at the hologram. “He looks like he’s in trouble, I better play back the whole thing.”  
“He says the restraining bolt short circuited his recording system. He suggests that if you remove the bolt, he may be able to play it back in its entirety.”  
“Well, I guess you’re too small to run away on me. Alright.” She took a pry bar to the bolt, but the hologram immediately disappeared. “Wait a minute, where’d he go?”

“Leia, dinner’s ready!” Aunt Beru called from across the farmstead.   
“Be right there!” She turned to Threepio. “See what you can do with him, I’ll be right back.”

“Just you reconsider playing that message for her,” Threepio said to Artoo. He whistled a question back. “No, I don’t think she likes you.” Artoo whistled again. “No, I don’t like you either.”

Aunt Beru filled Leia’s glass and started to pass out food. Leia waited for her to sit down but then dug into her dinner wholeheartedly. 

“You know,” she said between bites, “I think that R2 unit may have been stolen.”  
“What makes you think that?” Owen asked.  
“I stumbled across a recording while I was cleaning him. He says he belonged to someone named Obi-Wan Kenobi. I thought he may have meant old Ben.”

Owen froze. He and Ben may have reconciled some of their differences over the years, but that did not mean they were friendly. Quite the opposite. “ _Haven’t you murdered enough Skywalkers already, Kenobi?”_ he heard himself shouting, years ago. Leia may not have been Owen’s daughter, but he was going to keep her safe if it was the last thing he did. 

“That old man is just a crazy old wizard. Tomorrow I want you to take that R2 unit and have its memory wiped. It belongs to us now.”  
“What if Obi-Wan comes looking for him?”  
“He won’t. I don’t think he exists anymore. He died about the same time as your father.”  
“He knew my father?”  
“I told you to forget it. I need you to prepare those new droids, I want them working the south ridge tomorrow.”  
“I think they’ll do right here. Actually, I, uh, was also thinking about our agreement. About staying another season. If these new droids work out, I want to transmit my application to the Academy this year.”  
“You mean before the harvest?” Owen tried to hide a scowl but failed.  
“Sure, there’s more than enough droids.”  
“Harvest is when I need you the most. Only one more season, and then we can hire more hands. You can go next year. It’s just one more season.”  
“Yeah, that’s what you said last year when Biggs left.” She pushed her plate to the side and walked out the door.  
“Where are you going?” Aunt Beru called out to her.  
“Looks like I’m going nowhere.”

“Owen, she can’t stay here forever. Most of her friends have gone.”   
“I’ll make it up to her next year. I promise.”  
“Leia’s just not a farmer, Owen. She has too much of her father in her.”  
“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmu @ skyler-thelostboy.tumblr (or bxnkenobi.tumblr) to yell about star wars with me!!
> 
> owen's quote about obi-wan is from star wars #15


	3. your eyes are tired, you're not the boy i knew

Leia was fuming when she hit the garage. The history of her parents had never been more than a vapor trail and Owen’s dismissal fed the quiet frustration she’d been harboring for years. She loved Owen and Beru, and this was her home, but the stars called to her. They always had. The Academy was a guaranteed ticket off-planet, and now that Biggs was gone, anywhere was better than Tatooine. 

The overheads slowly flickered on but the droids were nowhere in sight. Leia pulled a small activator from her pocket and Threepio yelped when she pressed it. 

“What are you hiding for?” she snapped.  
“It wasn’t my fault, please don’t deactivate me. I told him not to go, but he kept babbling about his mission,” Threepio whined, the hurt evident in his voice.  
“Blast that astromech, when I get my hands on him…” she trailed off, sprinting outside. She scanned the quickly darkening horizon. “He’s nowhere in sight. How could I be so stupid?”  
“Pardon me, but shouldn’t we go after him?”  
“It’s too dangerous with all the Sand People around. We’ll have to wait until morning. You know, that little droid is going to cause me a lot of trouble.”  
“Oh, he excels at that.”

When morning broke over the homestead, Leia and Threepio set out in her landspeeder, racing over the Wastes with scanner in hand. They finally got a read on Artoo and glided onto the floor of one of the canyons. Leia hopped over the side, her laser rifle slung over her shoulder, and approached Artoo.

“And just where do you think you’re going, huh?” She was more relieved than angry now, but her voice still had a sharp edge. “It’s getting late, we need to get back before Uncle Owen really blows up.”  
Excuse me,” Threepio said in response to a burst of whistles from Artoo. “He says several creatures are approaching from the southeast!”  
“Tuskens! Or worse. Come on, let’s have a look.”

Leia watched the Tusken Raiders in the distance through her binoculars. There were a few of the creatures tending to their Banthas, but two of the mounts were tied up, rider-less. Suddenly her vision was obstructed and before she could react, a Tusken Raider loomed over her. The Tusken brought its weapon swiftly down at Leia’s head but she managed to block it with her rifle. She scrambled backward until she was pinned against the canyon wall. The Tusken shrieked and pumped its gaderffii over its head in triumph. A blow to the head, and Leia’s world went dark.

As she lay helpless, the Tuskens ransacked her speeder, only to stop short when they saw old Ben Kenobi come over the ridge. A few of them scattered, one even replaced the stolen goods. 

“Stealing from droids? And children? I thought you had more honor than this. What would A’Yark think, hmm?” The Raider replied in Tusken and Ben smiled reassuringly. “No, I know it’s been hard times. You did what you thought you must, but know that you were mistaken. This family is under my protection.” 

Ben walked over to where Leia was slowly coming to, while Artoo beeped at her in concern. 

“What happened?” Leia asked.  
“Rest easy, you’ve had a busy day. You’re fortunate you’re still in one piece.”  
“Ben? Ben Kenobi? Boy am I glad to see you.”  
“The Jundland Wastes are not to be travelled lightly. Tell me, what brings you out this far?”  
“This droid! I think he’s searching for his former master. I’ve never seen such devotion in a droid before. He claims to be the property of an Obi-Wan Kenobi, I was thinking you might know him.”  
“Obi-Wan Kenobi. Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long, long time.”  
“I think my uncle knew him. He said he was dead.”  
“Oh, he’s not dead. Not- not yet.”  
“So you do know him?”  
“Know him?” Ben smiled. “Of course I know him. He’s me! I haven’t gone by the name Obi-Wan since, oh, before you were born.” 

Stunned at the revelation, Leia looked up at him in awe and Ben was instantly buried under nineteen years of guilt. Her father’s eyes and her mother’s features, freckled from a life on Tatooine, brought back memories of a better time. Leia was a glimpse of what Ben has lost, of what could have been, and most importantly, of  _ hope _ .

“Then the droid does belong to you,” Leia said after a moment.  
“I don’t seem to remember ever owning a droid. Very interesting.” 

Ben had never expected to see the droid again, not since Coruscant. From a certain point of view, he was telling the truth. Artoo was far more a companion than a possession. He was relieved, but not at all surprised, that the droid was still functioning. Threepio though, he was a little surprised. 

“We’d better get indoors. Come now.” 

They took Leia’s speeder back to Ben’s hut. There were remnants of forgotten tech scattered about the workbench in the corner, but the clutter gave it a sense of worn-in comfort. Threepio was shut down, recovering from his stressful afternoon. Leia was busy asking Ben about his connection to her father.

“I have something here for you,” Ben said. “Your father wanted you to have this, when you were old enough, but your uncle wouldn’t allow it. He feared you might follow Obi-Wan on some damned-fool crusade like your father did.”  
“What is it?”  
“His lightsaber. This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight, not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age.” He watched Leia swing the blade haphazardly, and the irony was not lost on him.  
“You fought in the Clone Wars?”  
“Yes, I was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father.”  
“I wish I’d known him.”  
“He was the best starpilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. And a good friend.”

Ben looked away from Leia, the image of Anakin on Mustafar burned in his mind.  _ “I hate you!”  _ the memory screamed. An echo he’d heard in his dreams for years and years. He swallowed his regret and continued.

“For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times. Before the Empire.”

Leia switched the lightsaber off and Ben slipped back into his memories. He hadn’t seen the weapon used in a long time, even as casually as Leia toyed with it. He saw Anakin leading his clone soldiers. He remembered him as a General in the Republic Army, fighting alongside him through hundreds of battles on dozens of planets, and then as an enemy during the horrors of Order 66. He thought briefly of Ahsoka, but was interrupted by Leia.

“How did my father die?’

Ben steeled himself against the images of Anakin in flames and took a deep breath.

“A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil. Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force. He helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights.”

As he spoke, his final battle as a Jedi Knight flashed before his eyes, the heat of Mustafar still hot on his skin. Some of the revisions of his past were for Leia’s sake, but most of them were for himself. It was the hardest battle Obi-Wan had ever been in, head-on with his former Padawan. He knew when it started that he would not be able to strike Anakin down, and so did Anakin. No, so did  _ Vader. _

“He betrayed and murdered your father,” Ben finally said. “Now the Jedi are all but extinct.” 

Anakin was gone as soon as he knelt before the Emperor. Ben watched the hologram play back in his mind. The man he had known would never have knelt down in service to anyone, but there he had been, with bloodshot eyes and more pain than he’d ever known, pledging himself as a Sith.  _ “It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them!”  _ The hurt still felt fresh in Ben’s chest. After all these years, he still did not know where he had failed.  _ “You were my brother, Anakin!”  _ Ben closed his eyes.

_ "I loved you.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience with this chapter!! The ending is inspired by this video which you can watch[ if you like to suffer](http://skyler-thelostboy.tumblr.com/post/138256647135/mystical-dreamers-im-crying-why-would-you-do) tbh


	4. no eleventh hour reprieve

“General Kenobi.” The hologram of Luke flickered back to life. “Years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father’s request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I’m afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan, you’re my only hope.”

The transmission ended and Ben turned to Leia.

“You must learn the ways of the Force if you’re to come with me to Alderaan.”  
“Alderaan?” She laughed. “I’m not going to Alderaan, I’ve got to go home. It’s late, I’m in for it as it is.”  
“I need your help, Leia.  _He_  needs your help. I’m getting too old for this sort of thing.”  
“I can’t get involved! I’ve got work to do. It’s not that I like the Empire, I hate it! But there’s nothing I can do about it right now. It’s a long way from here.”  
“That’s your uncle talking,” Ben sighed, but Leia heard Biggs’ voice more than Owen’s.  
“Oh god, my uncle. How am I ever going to explain this one?”  
“Leia-”  
“Look, I can take you to Mos Eisley, and you can get a transport to wherever you’re going.”  
“You must do what you feel is right, of course.”

They took Leia’s speeder toward the city. Along the way, they found the remains of a Jawa Sandcrawler.

“That’s odd,” Leia said, surveying the damage. “It looks like Sand People did this, with the Gaffi sticks and Bantha tracks, but I’ve never heard of them hitting something this big before.”  
“They didn’t,” Ben replied, “but we are meant to think they did. These tracks are side by side, but Tuskens always ride single file, to hide their numbers. Imperials must have done this.”  
“Why would Imperials slaughter Jawas?” She looked back at her speeder and saw the two droids. Immediately, it clicked. “If they traced them here, they may have learned who they sold them to. And that would lead them-  _no!_ ”

She ran back to her speeder and raced back to the homestead. Smoke was billowing up from the remains of her home and she stumbled out in a daze.

“Uncle Owen? Aunt Beru?”

She turned the corner and saw them- or what was left of them- outside their door, blasters still in their grasp. She fell to her knees, stunned. The distant threat of the Empire was now intimately realized, her subtle fears shifted to anger. This was all she had. Ben put a hand on her shoulder.

“There’s nothing you could have done. You’d have been killed too, and the droids would be in the hands of the Empire.”

Leia turned to him. He made it sound so easy, that of course there was a bigger picture. But all she could feel was her anger start a dangerous spiral towards hatred. Her family was dead because of the Empire. She was suddenly very grateful that Biggs was rebelling and joining the Alliance. It would have killed her to know Biggs was involved in this sort of atrocity.

“I want to come with you to Alderaan,” Leia decided. “There’s nothing for me here now. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father.”

Ben smiled and led her back to the speeder, but worry was evident in his eyes. He wanted to train her, of course, but not like this. A massacre in the desert was a troubling start to a Jedi’s path.  _There is no emotion, there is peace._ Like her father, indeed.

“Mos Eisley Spaceport,” Ben announced as they came up on the city. “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum of villainy. We must be cautious.”

The speeder was stopped by stormtroopers when they approached.

“How long have you had these droids?”  
“About three or four seasons,” Leia lied.  
“They’re for sale if you want them,” Ben added.  
“Let me see your identification.”

Leia fumbled for her papers but Ben waved his hand discreetly at the stormtrooper.

“You don’t need to see her identification,” he said calmly.  
“We don’t need to see your identification,” the trooper responded.  
“These are not the droids you’re looking for.”  
“These are not the droids we’re looking for.”  
“She can go about her business.”  
“You can go about your business.”  
“Move along.”  
“Move along, move along.” The stormtrooper waved them on past the barricade.

Leia stopped the speeder outside a cantina and shook her head.

“Do you really think we’re going to find a pilot that’ll take us to Alderaan?”  
“I hope. Some of the best pilots in the galaxy can be found here.”

The droids waited outside after being shunned by the bartender and Ben walked up to a Wookiee at the bar.  _Chewbacca_. Ben sighed with relief. There were fewer and fewer pilots loyal to the Republic as time went on, but Chewbacca had always been a friend to the Jedi, and was an incredible ally during the Clone Wars. Ben walked up to him, beaming.

“My friend. It’s been many years since Kashyyyk, hmm?”

Chewbacca turned around and roared excitedly, lifting Ben up in a massive bear hug. They talked for a few minutes before Ben waved Leia over. Chewie led them to his table where his companion was sitting and explained the situation to him.

“Han Solo.” He introduced himself to Ben and Leia with a grin. “I’m captain of the  _Millennium Falcon_. So you’re looking for passage to the Alderaan system?”  
“Yes, if it’s a fast ship,” Ben replied.  
“Fast ship? You’ve never heard of the Millennium  _Falcon_?”  
“Should I have?” 

Chewbacca laughed and Han shot him a look.

“It’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs! I’ve outrun Imperial starships- and not the local bulk-cruisers, mind you, but the big Corellian ships. She’s fast enough. What’s the cargo?”  
“Only passengers. Myself, the girl, two droids, and no questions.”  
“Some kind of local trouble, huh?"  
“Let’s just say we’d like to avoid any Imperial entanglements.”  
“Well that’s the trick, ain’t it? And it’s going to cost you extra. Ten thousand. In advance.  
“Ten thousand!” Leia exclaimed. “We could buy our own ship for that!”  
“And who’s gonna fly it, kid? You?”  
“You bet I could. I’m not such a bad pilot myself. We don’t have to sit here and listen to this-”  
“We haven’t that much with us,” Ben interrupted, “but we can pay you two thousand now and fifteen when we reach Alderaan.”  
“Seventeen thousand? Okay. You’ve got yourselves a ship. We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.” He turned to see the bartender pointing two stormtroopers in their direction. “But it looks like someone may have caught up with you.”

Ben and Leia slipped out the back of the cantina, and before Han could get up to leave, Greedo sat down at his booth. The Rodian was only a few years older than Han, but a hard life on Tatooine had weathered him like everyone else.

“Going somewhere, Solo?” he sneered.  
“As a matter of fact, I was just going to see your boss. Tell Jabba I’ve got his money.”  
“It’s too late. You should have paid him when you had the chance. Jabba’s put a price on your head, I’m lucky I found you first.”  
“Yeah, but this time I’ve got the money.”  
“If you give it to me, I might forget I found you.”  
“I don’t have it  _with_ me. Tell Jabba-”  
“Jabba’s through with you, Solo! He has no time for smugglers who drop their cargo at the first sign of an Imperial cruiser.”  
“Even I get boarded sometimes. You think I had a choice?”  
“You can tell that to Jabba. He may only take your ship.”  
“Over my dead body.”  
“That’s the idea.” Greedo smiled, though it was hard to tell. “I’ve been looking forward to killing you for a long time.”  
“Yeah, I’ll bet you have.”

A flash of light erupted from under the table and Greedo was dead before he even pulled the trigger. He fell forward, smoke rising from his body. Han got up and flipped the bartender some coins.

“Sorry about the mess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> smuggler: acquired. thanks for reading!!


	5. my heart is a troubled captain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently re-wrote chapter one, so if you haven't seen it yet, you should take a look!

On the outskirts of Mos Eisley, Leia and Ben pulled up to a used speeder lot. Amid the bright neon advertisements and disheveled, half broken down vehicles, they spotted the owner. The dry heat seemed to suit the Geonosian just fine and he welcomed them with outstretched arms and wings. Leia walked slowly through the shop, admiring the variety of speeder and starship parts. She could make a living working somewhere like this, and for a moment Alderaan seemed too far away to really exist.

Leia looked back at the X-34. Since SoroSuub recently expressed their support for the Empire, she’d been less keen about the landspeeder than before, but she remembered when Owen had first given it to her. It wasn’t a powerful machine, but it had started a slippery slope to the T-16 she had raced, supplemented by the parts that had shown up on her doorstep. Owen was so angry the first time she came back from a joyride. He used to say if she ever got off this planet, he didn’t think she’d ever come back. Maybe he was right. Leia’s heart dropped as the sight of the homestead in flames, of Owen and Beru’s bodies left so carelessly on the steps, flashed through her mind. It had only been a couple hours, she realized. Everything changed so quickly.

“Ahko klik vismah tok?” The owner called over to her. “What do you want?”  
“This landspeeder is mine. I need to sell it.” She paused. “I don’t have any use for it now.”

The owner pointed her to a nearby Vuvrian who was running the back, and the two of them haggled over the price. Ben waited nearby with the droids, trying to reconcile with himself the actions he was about to take. He had sworn his life to protecting Leia, and now he was taking her off planet to see Luke’s father, Senator Bail Organa. Bail was an old friend, but Ben hadn't been expecting to hear from him. The situation must be dire if he was willing to risk contact, and through Luke no less.

“Artoo,” Ben said, “I’m curious, how did you manage to fall into Leia’s custody? Why did you not come straight for me, if that was indeed your mission?”  
Artoo responded with a proud string of whistles.  
“You did _what?_ ” Threepio exclaimed. “You didn’t tell _me_ you sabotaged the other droids on that dreadful sandcrawler. What if we had been sold to someone else?”  
Ben laughed and shook his head. “I should have known better than to ask, my friend.”

“I was able to get 2,000 for it,” Leia said to Ben as she came back from the shop. “They said that ever since the XP-38 came out, they’re just not in demand.”   
“It will be enough. Let us get back to the port.”

Ben felt uneasy as they found their way through the spaceport, as if someone was watching them. He let the Force guide his winding path to avoid any collisions with Imperial agents. Every moment was working against them, and he knew it. Luckily, Chewbacca was waiting for them at the entrance of docking bay ninety-four, just as he had said.

“What a piece of junk!” Leia gazed up at the pieced together YT-1300 freighter when they walked onto the landing pad. Decades old at least, the _Millennium Falcon_ looked like it had seen much better days.  
“She’ll make point five past lightspeed,” Han said to her, clearly offended. “She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid. I’ve made a lot of special modifications myself. But we’re a little rushed, so if you’ll just get on board, we can leave.”

Chewbacca went to start the engines and Leia, Ben, and the droids followed. Han finished the pre-flight check underneath the ship when several stormtroopers burst into the landing bay. The troopers shouted orders to each other and Han raced to the boarding ramp, firing his DL-44 as he went. He didn't hit any of the troopers straight on, but it did force them to scatter, which gave him just enough time to run into the ship and close the ramp behind him.

“Chewie, get us out of here!” Han shouted.  
“Oh my,” Threepio moaned, “I’d forgotten how much I hate space travel.”

Han and Chewbacca got the ship off the ground as quickly as they could and made a straight shot through the atmosphere. As they distanced themselves from the planet, Imperials were quick to follow.

“Ah wu aaa na muaarga?” Chewbacca complained.  
“It looks like an Imperial cruiser. Our passengers must be hotter than I thought. Try and hold them off, angle the deflector shield while I make the calculations for our jump to lightspeed.” He punched the navigation request into the system behind him. “Stay sharp, there’s two more coming in. They’re going to try to cut us off.”  
“Why don’t you outrun them?” Leia interjected from behind them. “I thought you said this thing was fast.”  
“Watch your mouth, or you’re going to find yourself floating home. We’ll be safe enough once we make the jump to hyperspace. Besides, I know a few maneuvers, we’ll lose them.” Bolts from the gaining Imperials shook the ship. “Here’s where the fun begins.”  
“How long before you can make the jump to lightspeed?” Ben asked calmly.   
“It’ll take a few moments to get the coordinates from the navi-computer.”  
“Are you kidding?” Leia interjected again. “At the rate they’re gaining?”  
“Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, kid,” Han said, turning around to glare at Leia. “Without precise calculations, we could fly right through a star, or bounce too close to a supernova and that’d end your trip real quick, wouldn’t it?”  
“I- What’s that flashing?” Leia reached over to point at a light on the dashboard but Han slapped her hand away.  
“We’re losing our deflector shield. Go strap yourselves in, I’m going to make the jump to lightspeed.”

Stars turned to streams of light as the _Millennium Falcon_ jumped to hyperspace, and Chewie prepared the ship for the two day journey.

 

* * *

 

In the Core, the new Imperial battle station orbited Alderaan, unbeknownst to the _Falcon_ ’s passengers. On board, Admiral Motti entered the control room of the Death Star and saluted Governor Tarkin. Vader followed with two stormtroopers and Prince Luke.

“Governor Tarkin,” Luke said dryly, “I should have expected to find you holding Vader’s leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board.”  
“Charming to the last.” Tarkin caressed Luke’s face, despite Luke’s obvious disgust. “You don’t know how hard I found it signing the order to terminate your life.”   
“I’m surprised you had the courage to take the responsibility yourself.”   
“Prince Luke, before your execution I would like you to be my guest at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now.”   
“The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.”   
“Not after we demonstrate the power of this station. In a way, you have determined the choice of the planet that’ll be destroyed first. Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the Rebel base, I have chosen to test this station’s destructive power on your home planet of Alderaan.”  
“No!” Luke’s calm facade crumbled as he looked through the viewport toward his home planet. “Alderaan is peaceful, we have no weapons, you can’t possibly-”   
“You would prefer another target? A military target? Then name the system! I grow tired of asking this, so it’ll be the last time. Where is the Rebel base?”   
“Dantooine.” He lowered his head, ashamed, but he couldn't sacrifice Alderaan. “They’re on Dantooine.”   
“There. You see, Lord Vader, he can be reasonable.” He turned to Motti. “Continue with the operation, fire when ready.”  
“What!” Luke yelled, furious at the deception.   
“You’re far too trusting. Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration, but don’t worry. We will deal with your Rebel friends soon enough.”  
“Commence primary ignition.”

Tenn Graneet started the firing sequence as ordered. Dozens of lights and switches had to be utilized to actually fire the weapon, but Graneet had been trained for this specific job. He’d used it twice before, but the station had not yet been fully operational. This was the first full test of the Death Star’s capabilities. He pulled the final lever and the eight already powerful lasers combined into one ultimate devastating power. Alderaan, and its two billion sentient inhabitants, were destroyed instantly in the explosion. The planet was reduced to dust.

 

* * *

 

Back on the _Millennium Falcon_ , Leia was practicing her lightsaber skills against a Marksman-H seeker droid. She tried to deflect the bolts as they came and was partially successful. Ben turned away and stumbled to a chair. There was great pain on his face and his eyes were distant.

“Are you alright?” Leia asked. “What’s wrong?”  
“I felt a great disturbance in the Force. As if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.” His voice lacked its usual steadiness. The sorrow he felt through the Force was almost constant these days, but this was something new. “You’d better get on with your exercises.”   
“Well, you can forget your troubles with those Imperial slugs,” Han said, walking into the room. “I told you I’d outrun them.” He sat down and watched Leia get shot in the shin by the seeker droid. “Don’t everybody thank me at once. Anyway, we should be at Alderaan at oh-two-hundred hours.” 

“Now be careful, Artoo,” Threepio cautioned as Artoo made his next move in the game of Dejarik he was playing against Chewbacca. One of his holographic creatures moved to the next space and Chewie growled unhappily. “He made a fair move, screaming about it won’t help you.”  
“Let him have it,” Han called over. “It’s not wise to upset a Wookiee.”   
“But sir, nobody worries about upsetting a droid.”   
“That’s because a droid don’t pull people’s arms out of their sockets when they lose. Wookiees are known to do that.”  
“I see your point, sir.” He turned to Artoo. “I suggest a new strategy. Let the Wookiee win.”

“Remember,” Ben said to Leia, who was still attempting to block the seeker droid’s advances, “a Jedi can feel the Force flow through them.”  
“You mean it controls your actions?”   
“Partially. But it also obeys your commands.”

Ben reminisced about using the same droids at the Jedi Temple, years ago. Jedi younglings would go through the same training simulations as Leia was doing now, but at a much younger age. It took Jedi decades to master the Force, but Ben had a feeling they didn’t have that long. Leia, despite her best efforts, got shot in the side again and Han burst out laughing.

“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.”   
“You don’t believe in the Force, do you?” Leia asked with a little too much vitriol for someone who had only heard of the Force yesterday, but she wasn’t about to let Han know that.   
“Kid, I’ve flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I’ve seen a lot of strange stuff, but I’ve never seen anything to make me believe there’s one all-powerful force controlling everything. There’s no mystical energy field that controls _my_ destiny.” Ben smiled softly as Han talked. “It’s all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense.”

“I suggest you try it again, Leia.” Ben placed a helmet on her head, covering her eyes. “This time, let go your conscious self and act on instinct.”  
“With the blast shield down, I can’t even see," she said with a laugh. "How am I supposed to fight?”   
“Your eyes can deceive you. Don’t trust them.”

Han shook his head as Ben restarted the seeker droid. The ball spun around and shot at Leia. She missed her block completely.

“Stretch out with your feelings,” Ben said encouragingly.  
  
She stood still and slowed her breath to try to focus on the droid. The seeker darted towards her and she, amazingly, deflected three bolts in a row. She took the helmet off and grinned.   
  
“You see, you can do it.”   
“I call it luck,” Han said skeptically.   
“In my experience, there’s no such thing as luck.”   
“Look, good against remotes is one thing, good against the living? That’s something else.” Han noticed a flashing light from the cockpit. “Looks like we’re coming up on Alderaan.”   
  
“You know, I did feel something," Leia said. "I could almost see the remote.”   
"That’s good,” Ben said, beaming with pride. “You have taken your first step into a larger world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmu @ skyler-thelostboy.tumblr (or bxnkenobi.tumblr) to yell about star wars with me!! han and luke should actually meet soon - thanks for reading!


	6. hard to let go and harder to accept

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> l i s t e n 
> 
> I know it's been literally like six months since the last update but I promise I still want to write this story
> 
> this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but what can you do
> 
> enjoy!

“Stand by Chewie. Here we go.”

Leia watched with an intense curiosity as Han pulled the Falcon out of hyperspace. The stars turned back into static points of light around them and they emerged into what should have been clear skies, but instead, the ship shuddered violently as asteroids raced toward them. Han maneuvered them out of harm’s way but he and Chewie were shouting at each other in confusion.

“I don’t know! We’ve come into some sort of meteor shower, but it’s not on any of the charts. Our position is correct, but-”  
“What do you mean? Where is Alderaan?” Leia interrupted, confused.  
"That's what I'm saying, it ain’t there." He paused briefly. "This is no asteroid belt," he realized, "this is Alderaan- or what’s left of it. It’s been totally blown away.”  
“Destroyed,” Ben said with a startling finality. “Destroyed by the Empire.”

Han and Chewie argued back and forth but Ben couldn’t bring himself to look away. Alderaan. He had been fortunate enough to visit a few times before the Clone Wars, and they were all happy memories. This must be what he had felt earlier- billions of beings gone in an instant. Was Bail among them? Was Luke? Bail had been one of the driving forces behind the Rebellion, but destroying an entire planet seemed drastic, even by Imperial standards. _To understand the ways of the Force, our place is not,_ a memory reminded him. Ben closed his eyes. Perhaps he and the Force had different priorities.

“An entire starfleet couldn’t destroy the whole planet,” Han was saying as Ben refocused. “It’d take a thousand ships with more firepower than- wait, there’s another ship coming in!”  
“Maybe they know what happened,” Leia said hopefully.  
“It’s an Imperial fighter,” Ben replied. “I’m sure they know exactly what happened. It’s a short range fighter, it couldn’t have come far.”  
“There aren’t any bases around here,” Han said, piloting them closer. “Chewie, jam it’s transmissions. I don’t want him around long enough to tell anyone about us.”

The Falcon dashed forward, surprising Leia still with its agility. She’d never been on a ship like this or seen a TIE fighter up close, and it was still exciting for her. For everyone else, the uncertainty clouded any excitement they may have once felt. Where there was one TIE, more were sure to follow, and worse.

“It’s headed for that moon.” Leia pointed out the viewport and Ben followed her gaze to the ship’s destination.  
“That’s no moon,” he said. “It’s a space station.”  
“I have a very bad feeling about this,” Leia replied quietly.  
“Chewie, full auxiliary power!” Han shouted. “They’ve got us in a tractor beam!”

Chewie forced the ship into a full reverse, but it wasn’t enough. The station’s power was as overwhelming as its size, and the Falcon was pulled into one of the docking ports on its equator. Dozens of stormtroopers stood at attention in the hangar and countless more marched down hallways in every direction. A line of stormtroopers stood ready at the base of the Falcon as commands boomed over the intercom.

 

* * *

 

“We’ve captured a freighter that entered the system,” an officer relayed to Vader. “It matches a ship that blasted its way off Tatooine.”  
“They may be trying to contact the Prince. Very well. Dismissed.”

Vader walked down to the hangar and the stormtroopers cleared a path for him, saluting as he passed. It wasn’t a ship he recognized, but it having come from Tatooine was an unlikely coincidence. He had captured the Prince but not the plans, had arrived at Scarif just too late, and the Emperor did not take kindly to excuses. The Death Star was too important to be ruined by a few rebels, royal or not, and Vader was the Emperor’s last resort.

“There’s no one on board, sir,” a stormtrooper on the hangar floor reported. “According to the log, the crew abandoned ship after takeoff. It could be a decoy.”  
“Did you find any droids?” Vader asked, his mechanical voice masking his frustration.  
“No, sir.”  
“Send a scanning crew on board. I want every part of this ship checked.”  
“Yes, sir.”  
“I sense something. A presence I haven't felt since-” Vader turned suddenly and exited. The stormtroopers gave the slightest shrug at each other and boarded the ship.

Vader returned to his quarters in the depths of the Death Star. He felt this way on Malachor but didn’t expect to feel it again. _The Padawan lives?_ No, this was different. The door sealed shut behind him and he began the arduous process of shedding his armor. The pressurized chamber was built specifically for him to allow him a brief respite from his suit, but somehow it felt like an insult. He peeled it off piece by piece and wondered if one day, there wouldn't be anything left underneath. He sent an order to his guards that he is not to be disturbed, and lowered himself into the dark.

He winced as the bacta tank worked in vain to heal his injuries, but it’s all he could do to prevent further deterioration. It disgusted him, having to cater to his own body. He remembered the power he felt before, the fear he had seen in his enemies’ eyes. Not fear of the Emperor's intimidating right-hand enforcer, but of him. Once, he had been ashamed of his lust for power, but now he was consumed by it. He buried himself in his atrocities. This is what he was made for. The Republic had been falling, and he knew the Empire was the only way to save the galaxy.

Half-formed memories and premonitions flew across his vision, all tinged by the presence he had felt. The presence he still felt, but couldn't place. An echo crashed through him and he grimaced. _Love won’t save you, Padme._ Meditation like this gave him the time he needed to get his thoughts in order, but it brought him dangerously close to the pieces of Anakin that were still scattered across his mind.

He tried to focus, but the presence was splashed across his history, wrapped in painfully sharp glimpses of Tatooine. There were days when Vader felt he truly died there instead, when he was just a boy. That maybe it would have been better that way. Twin suns bore down on an endless desert and his memory raced from Mos Espa to the outskirts of the Tusken village. _I killed them. I killed them all._ The warriors, the women, the children, his mother. The scene went up in flames in his mind and he felt himself gasping for air. The memory emerged then from the waters of Naboo, both of a child and a young man, a duplicity of himself. He saw flashes of lightsabers, of politicians, of a starfighter- his first starfighter, barreling out of Theed toward the stars. _The first one to see them all._ He’d been to countless planets for the Empire, and for the Jedi.

The Jedi. The hatred was evident on his unmasked face, though there was no one to see it. One final memory came to him. The last day of the Republic. He watched his ship land on Mustafar, years before he reclaimed the ground as his own. He saw the Separatist leaders fall by his hand, one by one, the betrayal in their eyes having had no impact on the newly-reborn Darth Vader. He felt no shame for turning his back on a corrupt Republic, and the Separatists were no better. He knew only he and the Emperor could unite the galaxy under their new Empire. No shame, except-

The scene changed into one he knew he would never forget. Padme. Everything he had done was for her. _You’re going down a path I can’t follow!_ He looked at his hand, tight with fury, then up at her. He saw himself realize what he’d done, then watched her fall in slow motion, just like in his dreams. He turned his head. There it was, the presence, almost tangible now. Another flash and he was watching himself crumble and burn, undiluted anger radiating from the body on the shore. _I hate you!_

Vader’s vision went white-hot, both from the memory and his anger, and he knew who it was. Who it had to be. He spit it out, more a curse than a name, and it tasted like ash.

_Kenobi._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always hmu @ skyler-thelostboy (or bxnkenobi) on tumblr to yell about star wars with me!! thank you for still reading, even though it's been an eternity


	7. your heart is a muscle the size of your fist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been almost a year since I updated this fic, but I'm finally enjoying writing again, so have my longest chapter yet. Thanks to everyone who has read this so far, and who will read this going forward. <3

Vader returned from his meditation chamber full of fury. The visions of his past still hovered at the back of his mind, reminding him in agonizing detail how he had lost everything. But now, he would have his revenge. He donned his armor. The life support system forced the stale air of the battle station back into his charred lungs and he emerged to a summons from Tarkin. The two of them were a fearsome sight – the Grand Moff, with cheekbones as sharp as his wit, and the sheer staggering presence of the Lord of the Sith – and the sea of Imperials parted for them to pass through unhindered. They approached the conference room and Vader focused on the conversation inside.

“Until this battle station is fully operational we are vulnerable,” Tagge was saying. “The Rebel Alliance is too well equipped. They’re more dangerous than you realize."  
“Dangerous to your fleet, Commander, not to this battle station!” Motti countered.  
“The Rebellion will continue to gain support in the Imperial Senate as long as-”

Tagge was cut short as they entered. Tarkin took his place at the head of the table and Vader stood behind him, a silent reminder of who was truly in charge. None of them would dare defy the Emperor’s wishes, at least not openly. Tarkin gave a small, wicked smile.

“The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us,” Tarkin said. “I’ve just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Republic have been swept away.”  
“That’s impossible!” Tagge looked genuinely distraught. “How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?”  
“The regional governors will now have direct control over territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station.”  
“And what of the Rebellion? If the Rebels have obtained a complete technical readout of this station, it is possible, however unlikely, that they might find a weakness and exploit it.”  
“The plans you refer to will soon be back in our hands,” Vader replied coldly. He glanced at the conspicuously empty chair. Krennic had died for his ambitions, but at least he’d had them. Tagge and Motti had gotten much too comfortable, and their complacency disgusted him.  
“Any attack made by the Rebels against this station would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they’ve obtained,” Motti said smugly. “This station is now the ultimate power in the universe. I suggest we use it.”  
“Don’t be too proud of this technological terror you’ve constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.”  
“Don’t try to frighten us with your sorcerer’s ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebels-” Motti stopped and grasped at his neck, struggling to breathe.  
“I find your lack of faith disturbing.” Vader clenched his fist and savored the small moment of release.  
“Enough of this Vader,” Tarkin said flatly. He wouldn’t have minded if Motti didn’t make it through the meeting, but there were more important tasks to deal with. “Release him.”  
“As you wish,” Vader replied, but he held on a moment longer. He watched the resentment in Motti’s eyes shift into fear when the invisible pressure continued, and Motti collapsed onto the table pathetically when he released his grip. The Republic, the Separatists, the Empire, it was all the same in the end - just politicians who lacked the vision to see what needed to be done.  
“This bickering is pointless,” Tarkin continued, pointedly ignoring the commotion. “Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the Rebel base by the time this station is operational. We will then crush the Rebellion with one swift stroke.”

* * *

Back on the _Falcon_ , the sounds of stormtroopers finally faded. Leia pushed open the floor panel above her and hoisted herself back up into the hallway. Her heart was pounding. She had been in rough situations before, but farmstead disputes were one thing. Infiltrating an Imperial base was something else entirely.

“It’s lucky you had these compartments,” she said to Han. “It sounds like they’ve gone.”  
“I use them for smuggling, but I never thought I’d be smuggling myself in them.” Han kicked a grate out of frustration and caused a metallic clang that made Leia wince. “This is ridiculous. Even if I could take off, I’d never make it past that tractor beam.”  
“Leave that to me,” Ben said as he dusted off his robes.  
“You damn fool,” Han sighed. “I knew you were going to say that.”  
“Who’s the more foolish,” Ben asked, “the fool or the fool who follows him?”

Ben wrapped a hand around the lightsaber at his hip. He was so accustomed to the weight of it in his hand that it felt more like an extension of himself than a weapon, though it had not seen much use over the last few years. It was his only connection to his past life as a Jedi and was his most treasured possession. The secrets to its construction were detailed in his journals back in his hut on Tatooine. He wished he had thought to bring them along to pass onto Leia. _This weapon is your life,_ he remembered saying. Now, he knew it would also be his death.

It seemed the Empire would spare no expense to make sure their plans had not been compromised, and before long, a scanning crew approached to do a more thorough search of the _Millennium Falcon_. The reality of Alderaan and the severity of their situation began to sink in. This battle station was more dangerous than any of them could have guessed. Han had heard rumors of the Empire’s latest creation, a weapon that could flatten entire cities. The Empire could spread all the cover stories they wanted, but he’d had friends on Jedha, and news travelled fast among smugglers. Han’s plan had been to stay as far away from Imperial occupation as possible for a while, but now he was in the heart of it all thanks to two nobodies from the Outer Rim. It was just his luck.

Once the scanning crew was far enough into the ship to be out of earshot, Chewbacca relieved them of their duties, and their arms. Leia paled at the commotion but Ben seemed too lost in his own thoughts to notice. Han silently cursed the mess that he would have to clean up once they were free of the station. He moved the crewmembers out of sight and pulled out his pistol, then went to attract the attention of the stormtroopers at the base of the _Falcon_.

“Hey down there, could you give us a hand with this?” he shouted around the corner. They turned around and ventured up, only to be met by blasterfire. “I’m sorry,” Han said quietly. He could only spare a moment’s pity for the dead men at his feet, but he made sure to close their eyes when he stripped them of their armor. He and Leia quickly donned their disguises. Han had seen more than his fair share of stormtroopers over the years and could imitate one well enough. Leia, though, had no such experience and somehow looked out of place even with the helmet on. But they had no other choice, and walked down the ramp of the _Falcon_.

“TK-421, why aren’t you at your post? TK-421, do you copy?”

Han heard him through the speaker in his helmet but did not respond. He knew that while he looked like a stormtrooper, he could not pass for one if questioned. Instead, he tapped the side of his head to indicate a broken communications unit. He was grateful for the anonymity that the armor provided him. The sight of just how many troops were posted between them and their goal made Han’s heart start to race, and he gripped his borrowed E-11 tighter than was comfortable. He hoped it didn’t show.

When the officer in the viewport turned around, likely complaining about the faulty headset, Han ushered the rest of the group across the hangar to an unguarded elevator. They approached the office and the door opened to reveal a very nervous officer who had clearly never been faced with a Wookiee before. Chewbacca tossed him aside with terrifying ease. Han shot the remaining officer before she had a chance to attack and he watched her fall to the ground. He lowered his blaster and took off his helmet, prompting Leia to do the same.

“You know, between his howling and your blasting everything in sight, it’s a wonder the whole station doesn’t know we’re here.” Leia scowled at Han. Her annoyance was layered with fear, but Han ignored it. If he acknowledged her fear, he’d reveal his own."   
“Well bring it on,” he replied instead, “I prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around.”  
“Sir,” Threepio chimed in, “we found the computer outlet.”  
“Plug in,” Ben said. “Artoo should be able to interpret the entire Imperial network from here.”

Ben’s familiarity with the droids belied any claim of his ignorance, though his memories of them were bittersweet. He could only imagine how many times Threepio’s memory had been wiped since Coruscant, but Artoo’s didn’t seem to have ever been. Some things never changed. He doubted Artoo had the capability to understand everything that had happened over the last three decades. Then again, he wasn’t sure if he had the capability, either.

“He says he’s found the main computer to power the tractor beam that’s holding the ship here.” The computer flashed as Threepio spoke. “He’ll try to make the precise location appear on the monitor. The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactor in several locations. A power loss at one of the terminals will allow the ship to leave.”

  
“I don’t think you two can help,” Ben said after a moment of studying the readout. “I must go alone.”  
“Whatever you say,” Han said bitterly. “I’ve done more than I bargained for already on this trip.”  
“I want to go with you,” Leia said. Her eagerness shone through her trepidation and Ben wished it could be so.  
“Be patient, Leia. Stay and watch over the droids. They must be delivered safely or other star systems will suffer the same fate as Alderaan.”

Ben had fulfilled his duties on Tatooine, it was time for him to be Obi-Wan once again. He committed his path through the station to memory and started out. Guilt welled up inside him as he left. This was madness, he thought. He had just taken Leia away from the only life she’d ever known, and now he wouldn’t be there to help her through. He knew that she wanted to leave Tatooine, but not like this. He couldn’t have said goodbye to her. She would have insisted on coming with him if he had. His heart ached nonetheless. She was a Skywalker, and she was destined for greatness. Who would train her now?

* * *

Han shook his head and looked at Leia. He wasn’t sure if he liked the girl or not. Though she was incredibly naive, her hopefulness was refreshing. Han’s crowd had long since fallen into cynicism, and it was a nice change. If nothing else, he admired her tenacity.

“Where did you dig up that old fossil?” he asked.  
“Ben is a great man,” Leia replied stubbornly.  
“Yeah, great at getting us into trouble,” he countered instead. He hadn’t meant to offend her, but he was also not exactly pleased at their current situation. He had picked up this job for easy money, and this was far from it.  
“Well I didn’t hear you give any ideas.” Leia’s anger wasn’t inherently directed at him, but he was testing her patience.    
“Well anything would be better than just hanging around waiting for him.”  
Before Leia could reply, Artoo spouted a string of whistles and beeps, sounding as urgent as he could muster.  
“What is it?” Leia asked Threepio. She knew some of the sounds Artoo made, but not enough to understand what he was saying.    
“I’m afraid I’m not quite sure,” Threepio replied. “He says ‘I found him’ and keeps repeating ‘he’s here’.”  
“Well who has he found?”  
Artoo whistled frantically.  
“Prince Luke Organa!” Threepio exclaimed, suddenly realizing the gravity of Artoo’s claim.  
“The Prince?” Leia repeated, astounded. “He’s here?”  
“Prince? What’s going on?” Han asked. He didn’t like being the only one in the dark.  
“Level five,” Threepio said. Han didn’t know if he was ignoring him or was just oblivious, but he didn’t appreciate it. Threepio continued anyway. “Detention block A-A-twenty-three. I’m afraid he’s scheduled to be terminated.”  
“We have to do something!” Leia’s face lit up as she tried to think of a plan.  
“What are you talking about?” Han asked again, louder this time.  
“The droid, Han, they belongs to him!” Leia answered, as if it was obvious. “He’s the one in the message. We’ve got to help him!”  
“Now look, don’t get any funny ideas. The old man wants us to wait right here.”  
“But he didn’t know he was here. Look, will you just find a way back into the detention block?”  
“I’m not going anywhere.” Han put his feet up on the desk.  
“They’re going to execute him! Look, you just said you didn’t want to just wait here to be captured. Now all you want to do is stay?”  
“Marching into the detention area isn’t what I had in mind, kid.”  
“But they’re going to kill him!” Leia looked distraught. She couldn’t believe Han didn’t care.  
“Better him than me,” he said with a shrug. 

Han didn’t mean it cruelly. It was a mindset he’d had to adopt in his years as a smuggler. Of course he would prefer it if the world were simpler and no one died before their time. But that wasn’t the truth, and Han knew it. He was a businessman, and there was no business in heroics, only pain. If he didn’t look out for himself, who would? Well, Chewbacca, he thought, but that didn’t count.

“He’s rich,” Leia offered.  
“Rich?” Han asked cautiously.  
“Yes. Rich and powerful, if you were to rescue him, the reward would be…” she trailed off.  
“What?” He looked at her expectantly.  
“Well, more wealth than you can imagine,” Leia shot back at him.  
“I don’t know, I can imagine quite a bit.” And he could. He’d be happy to retire young if given the chance.  
“You’ll get it!” she insisted.  
“I better.” Han sighed. He couldn’t believe himself. Chewbacca couldn’t believe him either.  
“You will.”  
“Alright, kid, but you’d better be right about this. What’s your plan?”  
“I have an idea.” Leia took a pair of cuffs off a trooper’s belt and approached Chewbacca. “Okay, now I’m going to put these on you.”  
Chewbacca growled angrily in response.  
“On second thought, Han, you do it.” She held the cuffs out to Han but didn’t take her eyes off Chewbacca.  
“Don’t worry, Chewie. I think I know what she has in mind.”  
“Pardon me for asking,” Threepio piped up nervously, “but what should Artoo and I do if we’re discovered here?”  
“Lock the door,” Leia answered.  
“And hope they don’t have blasters,” Han added.  
“That isn’t very reassuring,” Threepio whined, and Artoo whistled his agreement.

* * *

As Obi-Wan walked through the halls, he veiled himself in the Force, extending his will in every direction. It was easier for everyone if he could slip by unnoticed. Obi-Wan had no interest in killing stormtroopers. The armor had changed and many years had passed, but he couldn’t help but see the faces of the men that had been under his command during the Clone Wars. Though he did not blame them, their betrayal still saddened him. _Good soldiers follow orders._ Obi-Wan knew now that it had been a front, a scheme to provide a weakened galaxy that would bear witness to the return of the Sith, but the battles he’d fought with the 212th had been real enough. He never thought he would miss the war, but the loneliness that followed was insurmountable. He steeled himself and continued towards the terminal.

* * *

Han and Leia tried their best to avoid suspicion as they led Chewbacca through the halls. Luckily, most of the surrounding Imperials ignored them, all too focused on their own responsibilities to notice a pair of slightly ill-fitted stormtroopers. Those who did notice them chose to move out of their way, thanks to Chewbacca. They took an elevator off the main level.

“I can’t see a thing in this helmet,” Leia muttered.  
“This isn’t going to work,” Han said under his breath, ignoring her complaint.  
“Why didn’t you say so before?”  
“I did say so before!”

The door slid open when they reached the detention block and they exited into a security station. With silver steel walls and labyrinthine hallways, this wasn’t the kind of prison Han was used to breaking out of. The officer stationed at the console looked immaculate. The black fabric of his uniform was pressed into crisp edges, and the double-stacked red and blue rank bar still had a shine to it. It seemed a shame to ruin it, but he’d chosen the wrong side. Han almost felt sorry for him.  

“Where are you taking this… thing?” the officer asked.  
“Prisoner transfer from block one-one-three-eight,” Han bluffed.  
“I wasn’t notified. I’ll have to clear it.”

The officer turned back to his console and Han surveyed the room. There were a few stormtroopers stationed as guards, but not as many as he’d expected. He knew that the bluff wouldn’t hold for long, and decided that it would be better to drop the façade than get captured because of it. He unlocked Chewbacca’s cuffs quietly. Chewbacca then grabbed Han’s blaster and let out a horrendous howl. He was really playing the wild animal card, Han thought as he rolled his eyes.

“Look out!” Han yelled in the stormtroopers’ direction. “He’s loose!”  
“He’s going to rip us apart!” Leia added. “Go get him!”

The guards were rightfully startled and it took a moment for them to register the situation. Leia and Han took the opportunity to take out as many cameras and Imperials as they could. The officer at the terminal was the last to fall, right before he was able to sound the alarm. A small blessing. Han rushed over and checked the terminal readout. He read through the prisoner roster and was surprised to see that they had logged Luke under his real name. It seemed the Imperials were convinced that this battle station was impenetrable, and that only made Han more keen to prove them wrong. 

“We’ve got to find out which cell this prince of yours is in… here it is. Cell two-one-eight-seven. You go get him. I’ll hold them here.”

Leia headed down the cell corridor and Han spoke into the comlink that had been buzzing constant questions at him.

“Everything is under control. Situation normal.”  
“What happened?” the voice asked.  
“We, uh, had a small weapons malfunction. But everything’s perfectly alright now. We’re fine. We’re all fine here, now, thank you. How are you?”  
“We’re sending a squad up.”  
“Uh, negative, negative. We had a reactor leak here now. Give us a few minutes to lock it down. Large leak, very dangerous.”  
“Who is this? What’s your operating number?”

Han blasted the comlink.

“Boring conversation anyway.” Han turned to shout down the hall. “Leia! We’re gonna have company!”

Leia was already too far away to hear him. She repeated the cell number in her head as she ran through the halls and skidded to a halt when she found it. Inside, Prince Luke of Alderaan looked like he had just been asleep. Leia wondered how long he’d been here. He gazed up at her questioningly as she stood frozen in the doorway, and after a few moments, broke the silence.

“Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?”  
“What?” Leia took off her helmet. “Oh, the uniform. I’m Leia Skywalker. I’m here to rescue you.”  
“You’re who?”  
“I’m here to rescue you. I have your R2 unit. I’m here with Ben Kenobi.”  
“Ben Kenobi is here! Where is he?”  
“Come on!”

She ushered him out into the hallway and they headed back towards Han and the elevator.

* * *

Darth Vader paced the room, speaking to Tarkin. His mask regulated the emotion out of his voice, but Tarkin had spent many years with him and could tell that his rage was only thinly veiled. Tarkin had also known an Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars, but he would feign ignorance, of course, at any hint of a connection between the two.   

“He is here,” Vader insisted.  
“Obi-Wan Kenobi? What makes you think so?”  
“A tremor in the Force. The last time I felt it was in the presence of my old master.”  
“Surely he must be dead by now.”  
“Don’t underestimate the power of the Force.”  
“The Jedi are extinct, their fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that’s left of their religion.”

Vader knew that wasn’t true, as much as the Empire would like it to be. He had tracked down many of the Jedi survivors, but as long as there was one Jedi left, more would always follow. He had already seen it with Jocasta Nu, and with Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger - the greatest failure of his Inquisitors. The report from the catastrophe at Lothal was maddening but a small part of Vader felt vindicated by the significance of the Force in Governor Pryce’s defeat. Kanan had perished during the conflict, but Ezra had somehow disappeared with an entire Imperial fleet, taking Grand Admiral Thrawn with him. The Emperor had been most displeased. 

“Governor Tarkin,” a voice came over the intercom, “we have an emergency alert in detention block A-A-twenty-three.”  
“The prince. Put all sections on alert,” Tarkin answered.  
“Obi-Wan is here,” Vader repeated. “The Force is with him.”  
“If you’re right, he must not be allowed to escape.”  
“Escape is not his plan. I must face him alone.”

* * *

On the detention level, an explosion had torn a hole in the elevator door and Han and Chewbacca were trying desperately to hold down their location against several stormtroopers, exchanging fire as best they could. They quickly realized their position had been lost and escaped down the corridor. Even as they retreated, Chewbacca lobbed a grenade over his shoulder, determined to do as much damage as possible. Any opportunity to inconvenience the Empire was one he was happy to take.

“Can’t get out that way,” Han said as they ran into Leia and Luke, pointing back at the billowing smoke.  
“Looks like you managed to cut off our only escape route,” Luke replied sourly.  
“Maybe you’d like it back in your cell, Your Highness.”

The four of them split into pairs and took opposing spots at the end of the hall, firing around the corner at the incoming stormtroopers. The Imperials seemed endless. Han cursed himself for going along with Leia’s plan in the first place as they tried to figure out what to do.

“See-Threepio!” Leia called into her comlink. “Threepio!”  
“Yes?”  
“We’ve been cut off. Are there any other ways out of the cell bay?”  
“Unfortunately, all systems have been alerted to your presence. The main entrance seems to be the only way in or out.”

“There isn’t any other way out,” Leia shouted over the din of blasterfire.  
“I can’t hold them off forever,” Han replied, not taking his eyes off the stormtroopers. “Now what?”  
“This is some rescue,” Luke asked incredulously. “When you came in here, didn’t you have a plan for getting out?”  
“She’s the brains, sweetheart, not me,” Han said as he continued firing. Leia glared at him.

Luke shook his head. There was clearly no getting through to the exit, so he looked for another way, something Threepio may have missed. Spotting a small grate in the wall next to Han, he grabbed Leia’s blaster and fired at it. The shot was much too close for Han’s comfort.

“What the hell are you doing?” he exclaimed.  
“Somebody has to save our skins,” Luke replied. “Into the garbage chute, flyboy.”

Luke then slid down the garbage chute without hesitation, but Chewbacca sniffed the opening and recoiled. Han shot him a dirty look. Chewbacca’s complaints were valid, but Han didn’t care. If he had to follow Luke, everyone did. He wasn’t about to leave his best friend to get blasted by stormtroopers just because Chewbacca didn’t like the smell.

“Get in there you big furry oaf! I don’t care what you smell. Get in there and don’t worry about it,” Han said, and gave Chewbacca a kick that pushed him through the chute. He and Leia continued firing as Leia made her way to the opening.  
“Wonderful boy,” Han said to her. “Either I’m going to kill him or I’m beginning to like him.”

Leia ducked a shot from a nearby stormtrooper and jumped into the chute. Han fired a few last shots at the troopers and followed her down. He fell into a large room filled with garbage and an oily, opaque layer of water.

“Oh, the garbage chute, what a wonderful idea,” Han said sarcastically. “What an incredible smell you’ve discovered!”

Han looked over to see Leia already at the door, struggling to get the hatch to budge. He pulled out his pistol and fired, despite Leia’s shouts of opposition. The bolt ricocheted off the door and everyone dove for cover as it exploded above them.

“Will you forget it? I’ve already tried it, it’s magnetically sealed,” Leia said. Han felt slightly better that he hadn’t been the first to try shooting the damn thing, at least.  
“Put that thing away.” Luke said, scowling at Han. “You’re going to get us all killed.”  
“Absolutely, Your Worship. Look, I had everything under control until you led us down here. You know, it’s not going to take them long to figure out what happened to us.”  
“It could be worse,” Luke said as his anger gave way to embarrassment.

Chewbacca howled as the water rippled beneath him and a terrible moan echoed in the chamber. Han and Leia stood with their pistols drawn, but nothing could be seen through the depths.

“It’s worse.” Han sighed. This was not how he imagined his day going.  
“I think there’s something alive in here,” Leia said anxiously.  
“That’s your imagination, kid.”  
“Something just moved past my leg! Did you see that?”  
“See what?”

Leia cried out and was pulled beneath the garbage. She appeared further away, struggling and thrashing at the surface of the water. There was a disconcerting appendage wrapped around her throat.

“Leia!” Han and Luke both shouted.  
“Grab this!” Luke extended a pipe to her to try to give her an anchor.  
“Shoot the thing, will you? My gun is jammed!” This was not how Leia imagined her day going, either. 

Han fired at the creature and it screamed, pulling Leia back down into the muck. Han pointed his blaster at where she had disappeared but didn’t want to risk shooting her by accident. Suddenly, the walls on either side of them shook violently, moved a few inches closer, then stopped. Han and Luke exchanged a worried glance. It was silent for a moment, but then Leia rose to the surface, gasping for air.

“What happened?” Luke asked as he helped Leia up.  
“I don’t know. It just let go of me and disappeared.”  
“I’ve got a very bad feeling about this,” Han muttered.

The walls around them shuddered back to life and started to close in on them again, with no signs of stopping. Leia realized then why she’d been freed from the creature’s grasp - it was no longer the most dangerous thing in the room.

“The walls are moving!” Luke exclaimed, stating the obvious.  
“Don’t just stand there,” Leia shot back. “Brace it with something!” 

The four of them scrambled to find anything of substance. They braced the walls the best they could with an assortment of poles and metal beams, but the slow pressure bent and snapped everything they tried. Exhausted and desperate, Leia pulled out her comlink.

“Threepio! Come in Threepio!”

There was no answer. The droids were hiding in the utility closet when the main door caved in with a crash. Stormtroopers overtook the room and muffled voices could be heard discussing the bodies on the ground. After a moment, the closet door slid open. Threepio did his best to sound like a terrified bystander, which luckily, he excelled at.

“They’re madmen! They’re heading for the prison level. If you hurry, you might catch them.” Threepio waved his arms as he talked, and Artoo whistled in agreement.  
“Follow me.” The head trooper pointed to one of the others. “You stand guard.”

The troopers hurried off into the hallway. Threepio and Artoo started to leave as well, but the remaining trooper aimed his blaster at them. 

“Oh!” Threepio exclaimed. “All this excitement has overrun the circuits of my counterpart here. If you don’t mind, I’d like to take him down to maintenance.”  
“Alright, move along.” 

Meanwhile, the walls in the garbage compactor were only a few feet apart. Luke was struggling to keep calm, and Chewbacca was still trying in vain to find something to prevent the walls from closing in.

“One thing’s for sure,” Han said, “we’re all going to be a lot thinner.” He turned to Luke. “Try to get on top of it!”  
“I am trying,” Luke replied, his voice hoarse from the strain.  
“Threepio, will you come in?” Leia tried the comlink again.  
“Are you there?” Threepio’s voice was thin and tinny through the comlink, but Leia was just glad to have a response.  
“Threepio!”  
“We’ve had some problems,” Threepio started.  
“Will you shut up and listen to me? Shut down all garbage mashers on the detention level, will you? Do you copy?”

Artoo worked as quickly as possible to get the compactors shut down and turned everything off on all of the detention levels. He knew it would cause a lesser disturbance if he could pinpoint Leia’s location, but time was not on their side. Luckily the Empire hadn’t worried about securing their internal systems from an onboard port and Artoo was able to access everything he needed. Suddenly, overlapping voices started to shout incomprehensively through the comlink.

“Listen to them!” Threepio said, somehow sounding more anxious than usual. “They’re dying, Artoo! Curse my metal body, I wasn’t fast enough. It’s all my fault!”  
“Threepio!” Leia called out. “Threepio, we’re alright! You did it! Open the pressure maintenance hatch on…” She turned to Han. “Where are we?”  
“Three-two-six-eight-two-seven,” he replied, reading off the hatch number.  
“Three-two-six-eight-two-seven,” Leia repeated to Threepio. “Get us out of here.”

* * *

Obi-Wan sighed in relief as he felt Leia’s fear ease. It was bittersweet, this last adventure of Skywalker and Kenobi. Leia had so much of her father in her, but so much of her mother as well. She was headstrong and defiant, to be sure, but she was passionate and true to her heart. Obi-Wan knew that it was Padme’s death that had solidified Anakin’s fall to the dark side. He wished with his entire being that it could have been otherwise, on both counts. The world had become a much darker place since then. But this was a fitting end, he thought, to have a foolhardy plan against impossible odds that could only be achieved by a Skywalker. Obi-Wan found his way to the controls of the terminal and cut the power from the main reactor to the tractor beam. Qui-Gon’s voice echoed in his mind, and he knew what was next. He found Vader’s presence in the Force and headed to him.

* * *

The rest of the rebels spilled out into the hallway after Artoo released the hatch. Leia and Han shed their armor and reattached the blaster belts over their clothes. It was too late for secrecy now. The Prince braided a section of his hair absent-mindedly as he watched them. He was angry at how their escape had gone, but he was grateful for the rescue at all. He didn’t want to admit to himself how hopeless he had felt in his cell, and how alone he felt with the memory of Alderaan’s destruction. He looked at Han and Leia. He was sure Han would rather be anywhere but here, and the feeling was mutual. He also felt that he knew Leia somehow, however unlikely. Regardless, he was tired of being on this station and decided to take charge, whether they liked it or not.

“Listen,” Luke said, pointing at Han. “I don’t know who you are, or where you came from, but from now on, you do as I tell you. Okay?”  
“Look, Your Worshipfulness, let’s get one thing straight. I take orders from one person. Me.”  
“It’s a wonder you’re still alive.” He turned to glare at Chewbacca. “Can someone get this big walking carpet out of my way?” he asked irritably. He huffed at Chewbacca’s whine and stormed off.  
“No reward is worth this,” Han said to Leia as he watched Luke walk away. 

The four of them made their way back towards the hangar. Han caught a glimpse of the _Falcon_ through a viewport at the end of the hallway and could see a dozen stormtroopers that were stationed at its base. With all that had happened, if Han could get off this station with his ship in one piece, he’d call it a success.

“There she is.” Han pointed down to his ship.  
“Threepio, do you copy?” Leia asked into her comlink.  
“For the moment,” Threepio replied. “We’re in the main hangar across from the ship.”  
“We’re right above you. Stand by.”  
“You came in that thing?” Luke asked Han. “You’re braver than I thought.”

Han gave him a dirty look and they started down the hall. As they rounded the corner, they were faced with a group of stormtroopers headed toward them. For a moment, everyone froze. A trooper then called out to fire, and Han charged at them, shooting wildly. Chewbacca followed him dutifully.

“Get back to the ship!” Han shouted over his shoulder.  
“He certainly has courage,” Luke said to Leia, mildly impressed.  
“What good will it do if he gets himself killed?” Leia was furious. “Come on!” 

The two of them sprinted towards the hangar, leaving the sounds of Han and Chewbacca’s crusade behind. Countless stormtroopers flooded the halls, firing at them from every direction. They raced through hallway after hallway, returning fire when they could and praying when they couldn’t. Neither of them believed in much, but it didn’t hurt to try. They turned a corner and Leia felt a wave of dread hit her, stopping her in her tracks. She instinctively grabbed Luke’s arm and saved him from falling into the nothingness that had appeared before them.

“I think we took a wrong turn,” Luke gasped as she pulled him back.  
“Yeah, I’d say so.” 

They had entered into a corridor that appeared to run the height of the station. There were dozens of levels above and below them, some of which had thin walkways with patrolling Imperials. The stormtroopers that had been following them appeared in the hall behind them, and Leia shot at them through the doorway. It seemed that for every Imperial she downed, two more took their place. Luke managed to shut the door to hinder their advances, but there was no lock to be seen. Leia shot the controls in an attempt to keep them out.

“That ought to hold them for a while.”    
“We’ve got to get across this, find the control that extends the bridge!”  
“Oh, I think I just blasted it.”  
“They’re coming through!” 

Blasterfire hit the wall behind them and Leia looked up to see more stormtroopers firing at them from an overhang across the abyss. They exchanged fire and Leia watched as a stormtrooper she’d shot fell down into the blackness. She handed her blaster to Luke and pulled a cable from her borrowed stormtrooper belt. Luke returned fire to provide some cover, a little to Leia’s surprise. The door behind them lurched open slightly.

“Here they come!” Luke shouted.

Leia threw the grappling hook at an exposed pipe. It connected soundly, winding tightly against itself. She let out a sigh of relief and made sure it was secure before grabbing Luke.

“Do you trust me?” she asked.

He looked at her, then kissed her quickly.

“For luck,” he added.

It wasn’t the answer she was looking for, but they were out of time. She pushed off the ledge and they swung across the chasm, landing on the other side as the stormtroopers broke through the door. They exchanged fire for another moment before Leia and Luke ran into the next hallway. They met up with Han, Chewbacca, and the droids in the hangar.

“What kept you?” Han asked.  
“We ran into some friends,” Leia replied. “Is the ship alright?”  
“Seems okay, if we can get to it. Just hope the old man got the tractor beam out of commission.” 

* * *

Obi-Wan watched several stormtroopers rush by him in the main hallway. Once they had gone, he hurried down to the exit leading back to the _Falcon_. As the ship came into view, so did Darth Vader. 

“I’ve been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last.”

Their bond through the Force was still evident as memories crashed through them both. Obi-Wan had known that Vader survived their last encounter, just as he had known that Anakin had not. He had spent the first years of his exile in constant terror of being discovered by the Empire, afraid of failing his mission, failing Leia, failing the Order- if there was even an Order left to fail. _Fear is the path to the dark side._ But his fear did not lead to anger, just to sorrow.

“The circle is complete. When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the Master,” Vader said as he ignited his lightsaber.

Scenes of Obi-Wan’s past had always haunted his dreams, but seeing Vader now was his worst nightmare realized. The terrible stories of the Emperor and his indomitable servant had reached even Tatooine, but he had never allowed himself to believe them. He couldn’t. Anakin’s fall to the dark side had wounded him so deeply, so completely, that he’d sometimes wished Vader had succeeded at Mustafar so that he wouldn’t have to live through the fallout of that day. _Your new Empire?_ Looking at Vader now, he wondered if there was anything left of Anakin inside the towering monstrosity. He reached out through the Force but was pushed away with a ferocity he hadn’t been expecting. Though the helmet was emotionless, Obi-Wan could feel the hatred spilling out from Vader’s mind, almost tangible in the space between them.

“Only a master of evil, Darth,” Obi-Wan replied with an infinite sadness. _I loved you._

Vader swung violently at him, always the aggressor, and their lightsabers clashed with a brilliant flash of light. Obi-Wan consistently deflected the blows and tried to ignore how familiar they felt. Vader was slower than he remembered, the armor hindering his former agility, but the years had been hard on Obi-Wan too. He kept up his defense but did not seek an opening. Even now, after what felt like a lifetime, he still could not bring himself to kill Vader. He knew this was the end, and had known it from the second they had been taken in by the Death Star.

For a brief instant though, he felt a strange presence and would have sworn he could see something at the edge of his vision. It was a glimpse into another world, all stark white lines against an endless void, and he heard a voice, distant but unmistakable. _Ahsoka lives?_ But he knew that it was impossible, a trick of the mind brought on by his reconnection with Vader, nothing more. He turned his attention back to the matter at hand. Obi-Wan had spent nearly two decades hiding among the sand dunes, but he was still a Jedi Knight, and he intended to die like one.

“Your powers are weak, old man,” Vader said, but Obi-Wan heard Anakin. _You underestimate my power.  
_ “You can’t win, Darth. If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”

He closed his eyes and let himself fade away as Vader’s lightsaber slashed through him. In that final moment, as Obi-Wan Kenobi become one with the Force, he had perfect clarity. He saw that Leia Skywalker would become a Jedi like her father before her, and that she would save the Rebellion and save the dream. He saw that Anakin Skywalker was indeed the Chosen One, and that he would bring balance to the Force. He saw the events at Yavin, Hoth, Endor, Jakku, everything at once, a cacophony of explosions and emotions and fates intertwined. He saw Leia watching him from across the hangar and knew that his sacrifice would allow her to escape. Her despair was palpable and he reached out to her. _May the Force be with you, always_. Then he was gone.

“No!” Leia cried out. Vader looked over at her and commanded the remaining stormtroopers to fire at them. Threepio and Artoo were already moving up the ramp into the ship, but Leia returned their fire, blinded by her anger. Han helped her take out stormtroopers for a moment, but quickly realized their only chance was slipping away. He pulled her into the ship despite her protests. She looked back at the hall one last time and Obi-Wan’s voice rang out in her mind. _Run, Leia! Run!_ She wiped away her tears and the ship jolted to life as she boarded.

And as Darth Vader watched the _Millennium Falcon_ tear away from the Death Star, TK-2224 retrieved Obi-Wan’s lightsaber, one last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, hmu @ skyler-thelostboy on tumblr!!


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